Safety checklist — Blasting / Rock drilling
Drilling, blasting and shooting in rocky terrain. Based on Québec's Construction Safety Code (CSTC) and CNESST standards.
Before work
13 items- ✓
Blasting under a blaster who holds the certificate (CSTC 4.2.1)Critical
ℹ️ Section 4.3 governs transport of explosives, not an “engineer-signed blast plan”.
- ✓
Blaster: original certificate in their possession (CSTC 4.2.1.1)Critical
ℹ️ CSTC 4.2.1: certificate issued by the Commission or a recognized body.
- ✓
Safety perimeter established and marked per blast plan
- ✓
Warning given to workers and neighbors — siren/horn
- ✓
Explosives stored per regulations — proper distance and magazine
- ✓
Check for thunderstorms — no blasting if lightning riskCritical
ℹ️ Lightning = detonation risk. The CSTC does not write a 10 km radius: stop as soon as there is a storm risk.
- ✓
PPE worn: hard hat, ballistic glasses, hearing protection, hi-vis vest
- ✓
Radio/communication functional between blaster and sentries
- ✓
All personnel evacuated beyond perimeter BEFORE detonation
- ✓
Sentries posted at every access to prevent entry
- ✓
Detonation sound signal given (code: 3 long blasts)
- ✓
Blaster verifies all holes fired after the blast
- ✓
Minimum wait before returning to zone — time per explosive type
After work
5 items- ✓
Zone inspected — identify misfiresCritical
ℹ️ Misfire = unexploded charge still in place — extreme danger
- ✓
Misfires handled only by blaster per procedure
- ✓
Unused explosives returned to magazine — inventory updated
- ✓
All-clear signal given — return to zone authorized
- ✓
Blasting report completed and filed (date, quantities, results)
18 verification items — use this checklist on-site with the app
Use on-site — freePDF reports, history and team management in the app
For information only — this is not legal advice. OK Sécurité is an independent company with no affiliation to the CNESST: we are not mandated, endorsed or certified by it. Completing a checklist here does not by itself establish your compliance — your exact obligations depend on your job site and your prevention program. Where there is any discrepancy, the official text published by Légis Québec or the CNESST prevails.
More checklists — Heavy Work
More safety checklists
Risks and prevention — Blasting and rock drilling
Blasting is governed by CSTC section 4 and the Explosives Act. A blaster holding the required certificate fires the shot — the Code does not write “only certified blasters” as a free-standing sentence outside those texts.
The safety perimeter must be calculated based on charge, geology, and proximity to structures. Warning signals (sirens) must precede each blast. Re-entry delays must follow the explosives manufacturer's procedures.
Rock drilling generates significant noise and dust. Hearing protectors follow CSTC 2.21.5–2.21.7 (not “mandatory at all times”). Hole dedusting remains loading practice.
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